Process of producing vanadium and its alloys.



FREDERICK M. BECKET, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR TO ELECTROMETALLURGICAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Original application filed June 19, l 906, Serial No. 3 22,449. Dividedand this application filed November 26. 1906- Serial No.

To all within it Woo/y concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. BEOKET,

a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Niagara Falls, inthe county of Ni- 5 agara and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Processes of Producing Vanadium and ItsAlloys, of which the following is a specificatlon.

This invention relates to the production of vanadium and alloys ofvanadium with iron, nickel, etc.

According to the invention, a vanadium compound is reduced by thesimultaneous I 5 action of silicon and carbon, preferably used 1nproportions and under conditions to insure a commercial purity of theproduct.

The invention is more particularly applicable to the reduction of oxidores of Vanadium, or to compounds, mixtures or concentrates containingvanadium oxid. The conditions necessary for substantially completereduction of the oxid of vanadium and the production of a metal or alloyof low sili- 2 5 con and carbon content are obtainable so far as knownonly in the electric furnace. Preferably a basic flux such as lime isused to combine with any silica which may be present in the ore orconcentrate and with that 'derived from the oxidation of silicon.

I have found that silicon and carbon, preferably combined as silicid ofcarbon, may be advantageously employed in the electric furnace as areducing agent for the production of vanadium, and its alloys such asferrovanadium and nickel-vanadium. When a suitable mixture containingsilicid of carbon, vanadium oxid and a basic flux is smelted in anelectric furnace the advantages of a 4o continuous and rapid process maybe secured,

and by suitably proportioning the ingredients of the charge andoperating under suitable conditions a product of very low silicon andcarbon content may be obtained.

Ferrovanadium containing moderate percentages of carbon may be preparedin the electric furnace by smelting a charge wherein carbon is used inthe minimum proportion required to effect the reduction, or in less thanthe theoretical proportion required; but the yields are found to be lowand moreover the carbon electrodes are rapidly consumed. I havediscovered however that when the re ducing action of carbon issupplemented by that of silicon excellent yields may be obtained and thereduction proceeds without undue consumption of the-electrodes.

I prefer to supply the silicon and carbon in chemical combination assilicid of carbon, SiO. By the use of this compound the production ofmetal or alloys low in silicon and carbon is more easily andeconomically attained, probably for the reason that the portions ofmetal first reduced do not come into contact either with free silicon orfree carbon, and therefore do not absorb the same to any injuriousextent.

In the production of low carbon and low silicon vanadium I may proceedas follows: An oxid ore of vanadium, or an ore which has been treated toconvert the vanadium to the oxidized state, or a concentrate from suchores is mixed with silicid of carbon, the proportion of silicid ofcarbon being such as to secure the substantially complete oxidation ofboth silicon and carbon by the oxygen of the vanadium oxid and suchother oxids re ducible under the conditions of operation as may bepresent. It is advantageous to use the silicid of carbon as well as theore in a fairly fine state of subdivision, the degree of subdivisiondepending somewhat on the scale of the operation. The use of a basicflux such as lime is usually advantageous as tending to economy ofoperation; it is not however essential. In case of silicious ores limeis usually employed in pro er roportion to form a moderately fusib e sag with the silica of the charge and that derived from the oxidation ofthe silicon of the silicid of carbon. In case a product very low insilicon and carbon is required the ore may be employed in excess of theamount required to oxidize the reducing agent; while in case a lowsilicon and carbon content is not essen tial the silicid of carbon maybe used in excess.

In the production of ferrovanadium, nickel-vanadium or other alloy ofvanadium, I prefer to incor orate metallic iron, nickel or other metalwit the charge prepared for the reduction of vanadium, or to introducethe required proportion of these metals at any time durlng the"operation; but the metals,

' iron and'nickel for example, may be reduced frond their com oundssimultaneously with the reduction .0 vanadium without interfering withthe process.

do not limit myselfto any particular type of. electric furnace, but Ihave found it advantageous to carry on the reduction continuously' in anelectric furnace in which the current passes through a-molten bathcontaining a mixture of ore, silicid of carbon and flux, and from whichpart or all of the metal or I slag may be withdrawn as desired, freshportions of the mixture being added from time to time.

To obtain a high yield of vanadium or its 7 alloys and to insure alowsilicon and carbon time.

This application is a division of my prior application Serial No.322,449, filed June 19, 1906, Process of reducing metallic oxids.

1 claim:

1. The process of producing vanadium which consists in reacting on avanadium compound reducible by siliconand carbon with silicon andcarbon.

2. The process of producing vanadium which consists in reacting on avanadium compound reducible by silicon and carbon with silicid'ofcarbon. 3

3. The process of producing vanadium which consists in reacting on avanadium compound containi oxygen with silicid of carbon, the silicid 0carbon being present in substantially the proportion required to combinewith the oxygen of the reducible I oxids, whereby a substantiallycomplete oxidation of the silicon and carbon is secured and a dproductlow in silicon and carbon is obv taine 4 The process of producingvanadium whlch consists in passing an electric current through a moltenbath containing vanadium oxid, silicon and carbon.

5. The process of producing vanadium which consists in assing anelectric current through a molten bath containing vanadium oxid andsilicid of carbon.

6. The, process of producing vanadium which consists in passing anelectric current through a molten bath containing vanadium oxid, silicidof carbon and a basic flux.

7. The process of producing vanadium which consists in assing anelectric current through a moltenbath containing vanadium oxid andsilicid of carbon, the silicid of carbon being present in substantiallythe proportion required to combine with the oxygen of the reducibleoxids, whereby a substantially complete oxidation of the silicon andcarbon is secured and a product low in silicon and carbon is obtained.

8. The continuous process or producing vanadium which consists inpassing an electric current through a molten bath containing vanadiumoxid, silicid of carbon, and a basic flux, adding fresh portions of thecharge and withdrawing the product as desired.

9. The process of producing vanadium alloys which consists in reactingon vanadium compound with carbon and silicon in presence of an alloyingmetal.

10. The process of producing vanadium al- .loys which consists inreacting on a vanadium compound with silicid of carbon in presence of analloying metal.

1 1. The process of producing ferrovanadium which consists in reactingon vanadium oxid with silicid of carbon in presence of iron.

12. The process of producing ferrovanadium which consists in passing anelectric current throu h a molten bath containing vanadium oxi silicidof carbon and iron.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK M. BECKET.

Witnesses:

C. C. MOSHER, J. N. DEINHARDT.

